


Empty

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Depression, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 21:04:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5348438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's had a bad year and is very depressed as he sits on a bench in the park</p>
            </blockquote>





	Empty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Camelot_Drabble's prompt: Thankful.
> 
> Thanks, issy, for the beta!

Thanksgiving. What a stupid invention. 

Merlin sighed, pulled his coat a bit closer around himself and sat down on the bench in the park. 

It probably wasn’t really a stupid invention, it had its valid reasons but Merlin couldn’t fathom why the tradition sloshed over the ocean and why everybody here pretended they had to do a big Thanksgiving dinner and all that. It wasn’t their holiday. 

He had nothing to be thankful for. That he saw lots of turkeys arrays in shop windows only meant that another year had gone by and he still was stuck where he had been twelve months ago. And it meant that the Christmas season would start – or was already in full swing if you believed the commercials on TV – and all of his happy friends in their happy little relationships would do happy Christmassy things and he would feel even more alone, empty and forgotten by the universe.

In the past year, he had tried everything and fought so many battles at so many different fronts that Merlin felt exhausted. None of his actions had led him anywhere. His place was still as crappy as it had been when he first moved in, his landlord just didn’t care. His boss was more of an arse than ever, even after Merlin had demonstrated his skills in front of his boss’ superiors and earned himself some appreciative nods from them. And then of course there was the wasteland that was his love life. Maybe TV had spoiled him completely and deep down he knew that there weren’t any real men like in his favourite shows, he knew that. But still, there was nobody around he was remotely interested in. 

What would happen if he just went back to his place, lay on the couch and pull the fleece throw over his head and not show up ever again? Merlin huffed. Nobody would miss him and the world would keep on turning. 

He didn’t even react when the snow set in and big wet flakes came down. What did it matter if he was wet or dry?

Merlin knew that he was thinking the same thoughts over and over again and that he wouldn’t reach a conclusion. So instead of going home and just staying on his couch, he could as well sit here.

“You’re getting all wet.” A huge bloke with an equally big umbrella stepped up to Merlin and held the umbrella over both of them.

“Yeah. That’s okay.”

“You might catch something if you keep sitting here.”

Merlin sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for small-talk. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t you have a place to stay?”

Throwing the man a look, Merlin sniffed. “I’m not homeless, I just have nowhere to be.”

“Great, same here.” The man smiled. “We could have nowhere to be together, like over there, at the diner?”

Shaking his head slowly, Merlin tried to smile back. “I’m not good company.”

“I prefer bad company over no company today.” 

While Merlin wondered why the man was so persistent and didn’t just leave him alone, the other held out his hand. 

“Come on, my feet are getting cold.”

He had no idea what made him do it, but Merlin got up and together they walked out of the park.


End file.
